The Immersive Wire - 14 March 2021 (Sunday edition)

SUNDAY READ EDITIONCurated VR/AR analysis every Wednesday and Sunday

// 14 March 2021

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Let's talk about Dream, which was a wild live performance set in a midsummer forest. Think of it as watching a stylised video game cutscene watched live, and chucking stuff into the stage. On the technical side, it blew me away. Several thousand audience members streamed a live performance which they can interact with, as characters acted in a virtual environment. I haven't seen anything like this before, and would like to see it appear as a template again. The audience threw balls of light into the virtual stage - which, again, is astonishing that it is done live. The performances are brilliant, with the actors focusing on their movements, as they worked well with an unusual format. At times, the sound mixing meant that the atmospheric sounds drowned out the actor's performances. The beginning was slow as well, likely to set the scene of an immersive forest. It felt more of a demo than a full-on play, but equally a full-on play of the same calibre would be a monumental task on performers and technicians alike. Dream was made in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Manchester International Festival (MIF), Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) and Philharmonia Orchestra. If you can,

check it out

- it's worth a watch, at the very least to inspire how the technology can be used in other projects.

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Q&A with... a VR director and writer

Alex Ruhl, VR Director and Writer.

What's it like freelancing in VR/ARWorking in VR is like trying to bake a cake without any of the traditional ingredients... oh and having to assemble your oven from scratch too! It can be challenging and frustrating, but nothing compares to the feeling of getting it right. And by right, I mean the moment you see someone's face light up as they experience your 'masterpiece' for the first time! It's hard work but it's intoxicating to be part of the early adopter's crowd!What hot tips would you give anyone doing it?

• Have unshakeable conviction in the technology long term so even during tough times you know WHY it will be worth it.

• Have a strong support system of fellow VR/AR creators because freelancing / running a business can be super lonely.

• Work out what your dream life looks like and reverse engineer your career from there. Don't just jump in aimlessly without a plan (I talk about this extensively in episode one of my podcast).

 What's been your favourite perk about it recently? It has to be the incredible opportunities I get as a result of being in this space early. Shameless self-promotion here but I recently became the first VR creator ever to be awarded funding from the BFI Network for my dystopian VR drama BAD NEWS. That's a perk I don't take for granted!

If you would like to learn more about creating a sustainable career/business in VR or how to create a VR film from scratch, you can listen to Alex's weekly podcast.

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